Re: William Callister & 2nd wife Eleanor ???
I might be wrong about the following, but it's the way I've made sense of the French/Collister/Cooper confusion.
1. William Callister married Margaret (surname unknown) circa 1841-1846, IOM
2. John James Callister is the son of William Callister & Margaret (surname unknown), b. 1846, Braddan
3. Margaret Callister dies circa 1851-1859, IOM
4. William Callister marries Eleanor French 3 Oct 1859, Braddan
5. William Callister & Eleanor French appear on the 1861 England census, with John, living in West Derby
6. Eleanor French did not marry Alexander Cooper, Eleanor Collister did, hence listing of Sarah Collister as Cooper's sister-in-law 1861 IOM census
7. William Callister & Eleanor French did not have any children
8. Alexander French, Eleanor's brother, died Oct 1868
9. 1871 IOM census Ann Daily/French living in Rushen, widow, with Alexander's children Wm, John, Thomas & Lidia
10. 1871 IOM census Alexander's daughter Hannah Christian French has been adopted by her aunt, Eleanor French/Callister
11. Alexander Cooper died Apr 1865 & Eleanor Collister/Cooper died Nov 1869
12. Eleanor Collister was related to William Callister
13. 1871 IOM census Alexander Cooper & Eleanor Collister/Cooper's daughter Margaret has been adopted by her relative Wm Callister
14. 1881 IOM census Wm Callister & Eleanor French/Callister have moved to Rushen, Wm working as Railway Gatekeeper
15. Ellen/Eleanor French/Callister/Collister died Jan 1882, bu. 29 Jan, Rushen
16. Wm Callister/Collister died Jun 1883, bu. 3 Jun, Santon
This is not a perfect answer. I still don't know who Margaret was - I don't have her christening, marriage or death dates - I don't know how Eleanor Collister was related to William, and I can't locate RG9/2728 f.118 p.39 sch.39 1861 England census. Can I ask Sylvia where she found her copy of the return? I've looked on Ancestry & Find-my-Past and they don't seem to have it.
I think Wm was John's father - though I admit I'm not 100% positive - and that Eleanor French was his second wife. But I'd really like to track down Margaret. If she was called Margaret Hampton, and she was John's mother, where can I find the relevant documentation?!?